Philosophy's 3-in-1's as shampoo

June 11, 2009 6:30 AM

Philosophy's 3-in-1's as shampoo: what are your experiences?

I've recently discovered the 3-in-1 products by Philosophy (the shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath product.)

I very much like the idea of portmanteau products (one thing that can do multiple things) and I'd like to ditch using a separate shampoo.
Before I do, however, I must ask the HiveMind: has anyone used 3-in-1's exclusively for shampoo? Or even mainly as a shampoo? How did it work out for you?
My hair is between chin and shoulder-length, and needs washing every other day, if that makes a difference.
I look forward to reading your experiences with Philosophy.

posted by BostonTerrier to clothing, beauty, & fashion (14 comments total)

I've used them and they work relatively well on my hair (past my shoulders, wavy and frizzy, washed every other day) as long as I use a good conditioner afterward. I hesitate to use them regularly, though, as they are very expensive compared to my regular shampoo -- $16 for 16 oz of Philosophy compared to $3-5 for 10 oz of shampoo -- so I end up using them just for traveling or weekend trips so I can take fewer bottles with me.
posted by phatkitten at 6:37 AM on June 11

If you're just into the idea of using one product for hair and body, most shampoos do a pretty good side job as body wash, and are much cheaper than Philosophy.
posted by Metroid Baby at 7:03 AM on June 11

I've used different flavors of the 3-in-1 shampoos with varying results. The Amazing Grace didn't seem to get my hair quite as clean as the Peach or some of the other flavors, and as phatkitten noted, you're still going to need to use conditioner afterward.

I've since opted to skip using it as shampoo in favor of using it to shave my legs, and it works rather well.
posted by alynnk at 7:12 AM on June 11

I hated the stuff. Smells great, but irritated my sensitive skin and it made my baby-fine hair a frizzy mess.
posted by chez shoes at 7:30 AM on June 11

As Metroid Baby suggests, one common ingredient is in most shampoos, body washes, and bubble baths. Go check whatever your favorite brands are right now, in your bathroom. I bet they all have either sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate.
posted by Houstonian at 7:33 AM on June 11

Great previous answer re soap vs. shampoo.
posted by fish tick at 7:55 AM on June 11

I haven't tried the Philosophy, but I'm currently using Paula's Choice All Over Hair & Body Shampoo. I have sensitive skin and most shampoos freak my scalp out, but I find this very gentle and effective. (Shoulder length fine hair, washing every day/other day, depending.) I don't use it as a body wash because I prefer to use a very mild soap-free cleanser, but I tried it once and it seemed to clean what needed to be cleaned.

Could be worth checking out if you find the Philosophy is not right for you and want to try another portmanteau.
posted by Georgina at 8:06 AM on June 11

portmanteau products, you say? Why settle for 3-in-1 when you can have a great shampoo that is also 17 other things? ALL-ONE! ALL-ONE!

label needs the 'timecube' tag
posted by Jon_Evil at 8:27 AM on June 11 [2 favorites]

I've used Philosophy and it is really pretty gimmicky. The only time I tend to buy it is if I get a really good deal on it or if they have a scent I really want but can't find anywhere else (hello black licorice). BUT, I will never never use it as shampoo. That stuff wrecks my hair after a couple times. If you have really short hair, don't care about it's condition or have hair that generally can stand to go through hell and back without casualty then this might be fine for you. If this is the case, though, then you could just wash your hair with any body soap.

But yeah, the primary reason for using a separate shampoo and body wash/soap at all is primarily monetary; shampoo could easily be used to wash the rest of your body as well as your hair, but decent shampoo generally costs more than body soap. Body soap is crap on your hair, which is why people don't usually wash their hair with it. That said, Philosophy ain't cheap, so obviously you don't care about price. This means you can use whatever shampoo you like and just go ahead and wash your body with it too.
posted by Polychrome at 9:25 AM on June 11

Nthing the "frizzy mess" but my hair is thick, wavy and temperamental so I wasn't hoping for much.
posted by getawaysticks at 9:57 AM on June 11

I've used it in several different scents, and didn't like any of them except maybe as a nice-smelling body wash. None of them got my hair clean enough, none of them conditioned it enough, and none of them foamed enough for my liking as a body wash.
posted by transporter accident amy at 10:22 AM on June 11

I have also had a bad experience with using Philosophy to wash my hair. I felt like it never quite rinsed out - it seemed like there was this film that was left on my hair. That said, the scents are fantastic and it works great as purely a body wash, albeit an expensive one (I am a big fan of melon daiquiri). Like Alynnk, I have also used it to shave my legs in place of shaving gel and I like it a lot.
posted by saturn25 at 1:16 PM on June 11

I had the Philosophy 3-in-1 cinnamon bun. The scent was good, it worked fine as a body wash. But it made my hair feel gummed-up and not that clean. I bought it for an extended trip, to save space, and it was fine for that. But it was too expensive and I wouldn't buy it again.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 1:41 PM on June 11

After reading these responses, you've convinced me that I'm potentially spending too much cash on this little experiment. I'm putting Dr. Bronner's Rose liquid soap on the grocery list this weekend to give it a try as a shampoo. I'll also be ordering Paula's Choice All Over Hair & Body Shampoo as suggested by Georgina.
Thanks, Hivistas.

DILUTE ! DILUTE ! OK !
posted by BostonTerrier at 1:56 PM on June 11